Loire Valley - Chambord

"A woman with her hair blown in the air by the wind"
François-René Chateaubriand's description of Château de Chambord.

The Loire Valley is famous for its beautiful châteaux, its picturesque villages, and lush gardens.  Oh, and of course the Loire River (the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world).

I spent four days driving through/around the Loire Valley -- I definitely could have spent more time in the area.  Where possible, I stayed off the main highways and drove on secondary roads -- much more relaxing and scenic (although obviously slower).

My first stop was Chambord.  I stayed at Le Relais de Chambord -- beautifully situated right next to the château.  There isn't really a town -- just a little village area with a couple of stores / restaurants -- so I ended up taking most of my meals at the hotel.  The hotel just opened in March 2018.  Service varied wildly -- so I think they are still experiencing some teething pains.  The sandy-hued country house was built as kennels for the king's hunting hounds in the 17th century and sits on the left bank of the Cosson River.  The surrounding forested reserve is big enough to slot the whole of central Paris into its ancient walled midst.

After the gorgeous drive from Versailles to Chambord, I checked into the hotel and then had a wander around the grounds.  The hotel terrace has the best view of the château -- so I situated myself there for a cocktail or two (and later dinner) --- and watched the sunset over Chambord.  The next day I rented an electric bicycle for a 1/2 day -- and biked around the woods and gardens -- just magnificent!  I stopped at a little café for a late lunch (breakfasts are just too big for me to be hungry at noon!) -- ordered the cheese plate with salad -- so good! (I took surprisingly few photos in Chambord, oh well!)  Note:  the red cheese was a Tomme du Berry Rouge cheese -- strange looking, but really delicious!

Some tidbits about the Château:

• One of the crowing achievements of French Renaissance architecture, the Château de Chambord -- with 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 77 staircases -- is the largest, grandest, and most visited château in the Loire Valley.  Begun in 1519 by François I as a weekend hunting retreat, it quickly grew into one of the most ambitious -- and expensive -- building projects every undertaken by a French monarch.

• During the French Revolution, rebels pillaged the château and hunted the animals in the surrounding forest to near extinction.  What remained of tis furnishings were auctioned off by the government in 1791.  After the Revolution, the château was owned privately and returned to the French state in 1930 on the death of its owner.  During WWII, Chambord housed some of France's most valuable national treasures and works of art, including the Mona Lisa.

And of course Chambord is famous for Chambord liqueur.  Click here to read about how it's made.

• Chambord's recipe, according to the company, takes after a raspberry liqueur made in the Loire Valley in the late 1600s.
• The liqueur is created from raspberries, blackberries, Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey, cognac, and herbs & spices.

Now -- this is the biggest complain about my hotel -- you would think that a hotel that is situated in the shadow of Château de Chambord would have a slew of cocktails based on the liqueur.  Nope!  The bartender looked at me in surprise when I asked for such a drink.  I had to look up some recipes on my phone to give her some ideas -- strange, eh?

Trivia:  what's the difference between a blackberry and a black raspberry?

• Blackberries are larger than black raspberries.  They have larger, bulging cells, and look glossy.  They also have a white core in their center.  
• Black raspberries are much smaller and resemble their red cousins.  They do not appear glossy, but instead have tiny protective hairs on their outside.  They also don't have a core - their centers are hollow.  More fruity and less tart than blackberry.  They contain less sugar, so are not as sweet.